‘Y Vân’ Documentary Gains Support Of XTR For Oscar Bid

EXCLUSIVE: Global nonfiction entertainment studio XTR is coming on board Y Vân: The Lost Sounds of Saigon as the award-winning documentary ramps up its campaign for Oscar recognition.

That bid was strengthened over the weekend as the film directed by Khoa Hà and Victor Velle won the Audience Award at the New Orleans Film Festival.

The documentary follows Khoa “as she sets out to recover the lost musical recordings of her late grandfather, legendary Vietnamese composer Y Vân, who the film colloquially refers to as ‘The Quincy Jones of Saigon,’” notes a release. “Y Vân was one of the most prolific and famous composers in Vietnam during the 50s, 60s, and 70s, but by the end of the war, most of his original recordings had been lost or destroyed.”

“Blending vérité filmmaking, archival discoveries, and poetic animation, the film traces a deeply personal search across generations, continents, and the history of Vietnam,” according to a synopsis. “It has received rave reviews from Vietnamese communities around the country, and has been met with large crowds and sold out shows throughout the summer. Notably, audiences have been composed of multiple generations – kids, teens, parents, and grandparents – bringing all ages together in a collective experience.”

XTR founders Bryn Mooser and Justin Lacob join Y Vân as executive producers. Mooser, a two-time Academy Award nominee (Lifeboat, Body Team 12), calls the film “entertaining, visually stunning, and full of adventure. A profoundly important film for Vietnamese-Americans and the world at large, reminding us that love, family, and music can heal the wounds of war.”

Y Vân: The Lost Sounds of Saigon premiered in competition at DOC NYC in 2025. In addition to the Audience Award at the New Orleans Film Festival, it won the Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature at the Atlanta Film Festival, Best Feature Film at Viet Film Festival, and the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature and the Audience Award for Best of Festival at the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, among other honors. It has also been named to the Top 10 Most Popular Films at DOCNYC.

The documentary is set for a theatrical release in early 2027. In conjunction with that, the film team will be releasing the newly recovered, restored and remastered original recordings of Y Vân through exclusive vinyl pressings.

Y Vân: The Lost Sounds of Saigon is a production of The Pink Cloud, directed by Khoa Hà and Victor Velle, and produced by Douglas Emerson.